FOOD experts in Salford are getting their teeth into a slice of government funding to help launch a pioneering new process.

University-based Novus Food Holdings is about to serve up a method of ensuring batters and breadcrumbs stay crisp after freezing and re-heating in a microwave.

Currently, Novus managing director Keith Pickford explains, frozen food companies struggle to approach a crisp, pleasant texture in such coatings once they have been heated from frozen in a microwave.

But the company has spent 10 years developing a process which can stop foods like dippers, goujons, scampi, vegetable bites and even chips emerging from the oven soggy and unappetising.

Now the government's SMART scheme has awarded the company é150,000 to further develop its system and range of products - Snax on the Go!

The funding has been provided from the Small Business Service's SMART programme, which provides grants to help individuals and small and medium-sized companies to commercially exploit innovative new ideas.

The company is currently working with Belgian frozen food manufacturer Eurofreeze after struggling to find a UK firm to make their product.

But after 10 years' work, Keith explains Novus is hoping its foods will finally hit the shelves. "Production begins this week and will be scaled up throughout the next few months," he explained.

"The development means that you can have this type of fast food fresh anywhere from pubs to schools and kiosks in airports. You only have to put fish fingers in the microwave and re-heat them to see the problem we've been tackling - they are virtually inedible."